


Change who I used to be

by pandora_rose_xo



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Co-workers, Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures (Harry Potter), F/M, Fluff, Harry Potter Epilogue What Epilogue | EWE, Ministry of Magic Employee Draco Malfoy, Ministry of Magic Employee Hermione Granger, Not Epilogue Compliant, Post Eighth Year, Post War, song prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-27
Updated: 2020-06-27
Packaged: 2021-03-04 06:27:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,306
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24949180
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pandora_rose_xo/pseuds/pandora_rose_xo
Summary: It has been a few years since Voldemort was killed and the War ended, those years have meant one thing for Draco Malfoy. Coming to terms with and trying to make amends for all his past mistakes. First things first, make amends with the girl he loves, the girl he hasalwaysloved.
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy
Comments: 12
Kudos: 19
Collections: Into the New Millennium





	Change who I used to be

**Author's Note:**

  * In response to a prompt by Anonymous in the [Into_the_New_Millennium](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/Into_the_New_Millennium) collection. 



> Written for Into the New Millennium Flash Fiction Competition hosted in Dumbledore’s Armada. Thank you to my alpha and beta who will remain anonymous until reveals. 
> 
> **Song Title:** The Reason  
>  **Artist:** Hoobstank  
>  **Year:** 2004  
>  **Lyric inspiration:** _I'm not a perfect person_  
>  _There's many things I wish I didn't do_

Hermione was glad that things had improved since the end of the war, and she was now happy with her job in the ministry. Though she had to be honest and say that the journey here wasn’t as smooth as she would have liked. Returning to Hogwarts to finish up her education was something she had always intended to do, but being there without Harry and Ron wasn’t the easiest of things. Especially not when she found out that they were putting all the returning eighth years together and that there was only a handful of them. A handful that included Draco Malfoy _and_ Pansy Parkinson. 

She tried her best to stay out of their way, even if it did seem like Draco really wasn’t the proud and haughty Slytherin he was before. Part of her just couldn't shake the memories and scars his aunt had left. They made it impossible for her to approach and try to befriend him; though he tried to approach her a few times.

Now, though, that year was over. She had been at the Ministry for just over two years, and she was liking it. She wasn’t having as much of an effect on changing things as she would have liked, not stuck in her tiny little cubicle doing what seemed to be everyone else’s paperwork. Though she guessed it would come with time and that she just had to be patient. Today they were due to get someone transferring into The Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures from somewhere else in the ministry. It had everyone worked up. Everyone knew who it was but Hermione. And no one would tell her.

Her heart fell when she heard an all too familiar drawl. “So where is my desk?” _Draco Malfoy_? really? He was transferred here? What was wrong with the Department of Mysteries? What did he think he would do here? Help? 

“Next to Miss Granger,” Brain Cobblepot, the head of the department said. Which made Hermione groan internally all the more. It was the only free desk in the office and she supposed she was the most junior out of everyone here, but she knew that she wouldn’t enjoy coming to work every day now that she was to sit beside him day in day out. 

“Excellent,” he smiled. A gleam in his eye that Hermione flinched at. she didn’t like it one bit and dreaded to even think about what was going through his mind at this precise point in time. She turned her head towards her work on the desk before her as he came over. Thankfully, he moved past her and sat down with no more comment. 

* * *

Hermione was ecstatic that it was finally lunchtime. she planned to go about her usual lunchtime ritual: lunch at The Leaky Cauldron, a quick scout around Diagon Alley to see if there was anything she wanted, then finally returning for the rest of the workday. Today, too, she would just be glad to be away from Draco for half an hour. she could see that becoming another regular thing. 

Just as she was shrugging on her jacket, she heard someone clear their throat behind her. She turned on her heel to see Draco standing there, looking—what she would say was—nervous, not that she could think of a reason for him to be nervous. 

“Hermione,” he began, his voice shaking slightly, “can I have a word?” He looked at her, his grey eyes wide and pleading. Her heart fluttered. she found his nervousness flattering and somewhat surprising.

"Sure," she responded, her eyes roaming around them in the hopes that they weren't alone. But their search came up empty. She wanted to leave, but she couldn't make herself refuse him. " What do you need? " Her voice sounded nicer to her own ears than she had expected. 

"I want to start by apologising to you," he said whilst taking a tentative step towards her. “For everything that I did to you. And your friends.” 

Her eyes widened and her jaw went slack in shock. She hadn’t been expecting  _ that _ ! Draco Malfoy apologising was something that she never thought she would hear. 

“Um,” she said, stalling while she tried to comprehend it. apologising was a big thing, and Draco had done a lot over the years. “Thank you,” she said, smiling, meaning it. While she was thankful that he had apologised, it didn’t mean she would be able to forgive him there and then - if she ever could. But it was a good stepping stone. “We do need to leave if we want a hope of getting any form of lunch,” she said. She felt bad for stopping him when he looked like he was about to say something more, but the gurgling in her stomach took priority right now. 

“No worries.” he smiled. “We can always walk out together,” he suggested. “If you don’t mind, that is.” 

“That’s okay with me,” she agreed tentatively, seeing as they were at least heading the same way, she couldn’t exactly say no. She started walking out, not waiting to see if he was ready or not. 

It didn’t take him long to grab his overcoat and match her pace. “So, where do you go for lunch?” He asked, more polite than she was used to. “I was wondering if I could join you?”

She stopped in her tracks and turned to look at him. “Why would you want to be seen with a mudblood like me?” She asked. From all her memories of him, he wouldn’t have been seen dead talking to her like this, let alone having lunch with her, choosing to socialise with her. 

“I’ve changed from who I used to be, and, to be frank, you are the first person that I wanted to prove it to. The  _ only  _ person that I wanted to prove it to,” he said, holding her gaze as he spoke. A slight blush crept up his cheekbones. 

“Why me?” She asked, not sure if she wanted to know the answer or not. 

“Because since the day we met, I haven’t been able to get you out of my head. And after everything with the war, it opened my eyes to show me just how awful I had been. I hated myself and I wanted to change, to become a better man, to deserve you. I want to start over new, with you beside me. If you will have me?” 

“Draco,” she said softly, her heart fluttering in her chest. “Do you mean that?” She turned to move away, not sure that she wanted to face the emotions that had surfaced at his words. not right now, and not with him standing in front of her. 

He took hold of her hand just before it was out of his reach and gently pulled her towards him. “I mean it, Hermione. Every word.” He smiled at her. “I hate everything I did to you, I wish more than anything that I could just take it all away.” He shook his head. “I don’t deserve you. I shouldn’t be putting you through this, not now. I am sorry.” He let go of her hand and started walking away. 

“Draco, wait,” she called out, catching up with him. “I’m sorry, it’s just a lot to take in. It’s not too much, though.” She smiled at him. “I admire the fact you have changed. not many people would have done. We can take things slowly… see how they go?” She suggested. 

He nodded. “That works for me.” 

“How about we start by having lunch together today?” She suggested. 

“Yes, please,” he smiled. 

They headed out of the ministry together, making their way to The Leaky Cauldron for the first of many lunch dates that they would share. 


End file.
